| Type | Cracker |
|---|---|
| Owner | Kellogg Company (Sunshine Biscuits) |
| Introduced | 1921 |
| Previous owners | Green & Green Company (1919) Keebler Company (1996) |
| Website | www.cheez-it.com/ |
Cheez-It is an American snack food cracker manufactured by the Kellogg Company through the Sunshine Biscuits division. They are roughly 26 by 24 mm (1.0 by 0.95 inch) rectangular crackers made with wheat flour, vegetable oil, sharp yellow cheese, salt, and spices. There are a variety of related Cheez-It products, including Baby Swiss, White Cheddar, Parmesan & Garlic, Cheddar Jack, Pepper Jack, Italian Four Cheese, Colby, Reduced Trans Fat, Snack Mix (formerly called Party Mix), Snack Mix Double Cheese, Hot & Spicy (made with Tabasco), Duoz Sharp Cheddar & Parmesan, Duoz Smoked Cheddar & Monterey Jack, and the Cheez-It Big which is a larger cracker more suitable for garnishing or dipping.[1]
According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office trademark records, the first "Cheez-It" Cheese Crackers were sold by Green & Green Company of Dayton, Ohio, in May 1921. After the Wall Street Crash of 1929, The Green & Green Company was acquired by The Sunshine Biscuit Company, founded in 1902 as the Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company. The Keebler Company acquired Sunshine in 1996, and Keebler was in turn acquired by Kellogg in 2001. Cheez-It crackers are still sold under the Sunshine label.[2]
A former advertising slogan was "Get your own box" which was found on the backs of most boxes. One side also contained the so-called "Anatomy of a Cheez-It." In mid 2007, the boxes were changed to show a picture of a large wedge of cheese labeled "Actual Taste," while a Cheez-It is shown propping it up, labeled "Actual Size." The new slogan in place of "Get Your Own Box" is "Real cheese matters.", with Jim Cummings as the spokesperson in the television commercials.[3]
Cheez-It crackers are kosher[3] and vegetarian.
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